The Leakeys are the most famous family in anthropology. Louis and Mary Leakey helped found the science of paleoanthropology: the study of the earliest ancestors of human beings. Their ground-breaking work helped prove that early humans used simple tools and were directly descended from apelike animals. In 1978, Mary amazed the world with fossilized 3-million year old footprints. These foot prints showed that early human ancestors walked upright, much the same as we do today.
Richard Leakey, like his parents, became a noted anthropologist and made many important discoveries, including the skulls of homo habilis and homo erectus. Maeve Leakey, Richard's wife, also made important contributions.
-- Over-100-page biographies that chronicle the lives and important contributions of great scientists from around the world.
-- Titles include several hands-on activities that give young people a deeper understanding of the scientist's work.
-- Each book contains chapter notes, a glossary, a further reading list, a chronology, maps, and an index.